Lincecum joins Cain with his 10th win

GIANTS 9, PADRES 3

John "The Count" Montefusco was the last Giant to throw a no-hitter, 33 years ago, and anytime another Giant gets close, his friends phone him in New Jersey and tell him to flip on his TV, time difference be damned.

It might be easier for Montefusco just to set his DVR every time Tim Lincecum pitches and wait for the inevitable.

"Just because of the stuff he has, I think it could happen anytime," catcher Bengie Molina said after Lincecum carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the Giants' 9-3 win against San Diego on Thursday night.

Tony Gwynn Jr. broke it with a leadoff single, and the Padres scored three in the inning to end Lincecum's scoreless streak at 29 innings, but Lincecum's consolation prize was his 10th win. He joined Matt Cain as the first Giants duo with double-digit wins by the All-Star break since Bill Swift and John Burkett in 1993.

"What a tremendous half for him," manager Bruce Bochy said. "To start the season, he wasn't at full strength. That was evident. Once he got that back, he went on a serious roll. He has to be considered one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the game right now."

The Giants backed Lincecum with big hits. Molina hit a two-run homer in the first inning against Josh Geer to reach 50 RBIs and break a tie with Pablo Sandoval for the team lead.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum throws to the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, 2009, in San Francisco.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum throws to the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, 2009, in San Francisco.

Photo: Tony Avelar, AP

Image 2 of 3

San Francisco Giants' Bengie Molina,left, points to the crowd after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres as Pablo Sandoval looks on in the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, 2009, in San Francisco. less

San Francisco Giants' Bengie Molina,left, points to the crowd after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres as Pablo Sandoval looks on in the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 9, ... more

Photo: Tony Avelar, AP

Image 3 of 3

Lincecum joins Cain with his 10th win

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

After Travis Ishikawa and Juan Uribe hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning, and Lincecum refueled the rally with a single, Sandoval hit a two-run double for his 49th and 50th RBIs to retie Molina.

Molina does not see a competition with Sandoval. In fact, when asked about the RBI race, he authored a verbal love letter to his teammate.

"I really, really hope Pablo gets 30 home runs and 150 RBIs and hits .330," Molina said. "I'm not competing with Pablo. I'm competing to win games. I wish he beats me in RBIs, homers and average. I love that kid. After Roberto Clemente, he's my favorite player, and he should to go the All-Star Game."

The first hit off Lincecum was a solid liner to left by Gwynn after he got a piece of a two-strike changeup. Molina said he could not have held onto that foul tip.

As sometimes happens when a pitcher loses a no-hitter, Lincecum faltered and could not get out of the seventh. With two outs and two runs in, he walked two to load the bases and was through. Sergio Romo walked in a run, but that was it for San Diego.

Lincecum said first hit did not bother him, and the rally merely illustrated the troubles he believed he had all game - even as he was no-hitting the Padres.

"I didn't think I had good command of my fastball today," he said. "It was more erratic, which you could see in the seventh. I got into a lot of deep counts, 3-2 counts, which I didn't like."

Outfielder/first baseman John Bowker went 0-for-3 with a walk in his 2009 Giants debut. He was promoted from Triple-A Fresno, where he was raking, as the team optioned starter Ryan Sadowski to Class A San Jose, but only so Sadowski can pitch Monday during the big-league All-Star break.

Bochy made it clear Bowker is not here to wear pompons, saying, "I don't want Johnny coming up here and sitting."

Bowker started in left field Thursday but will play some right field and first base, too, as the Giants see if he can fill their power needs.

Top-flight 10

Tim Lincecum's string of consecutive scoreless innings ended at 29 with three runs in the seventh Thursday. Looking further, he has allowed just 12 earned runs in his past 10 starts.